Pic with the intake couplers and less shadows




The plastic intake needs to be painted. Dull black finish isnt too pretty in the rest of the bay. Ill probably paint the WP too, its quite ugly. The new tensioner sticks out like a sore thumb. Not sure how to make it less obvious without everything being painted black

 

Looks great Jon!

 

Awesome stuff Jon, I can't wait to get going on mine

 

Hopefully its as trouble free as mine was

 

Very nice pocket, now we need to see some videos!

 

THat is pretty badass. I been following your other swap too with the 2 m90 blowers, maybe you might attempt on this one too? Your attention to detail is really good, love some of yolur solutions to cleaning up that bay. Hope ya have fun with it. You did use a 4l60 right?

 

This is my daily driver. Itll stay NA until I change its duty. The most I may do is a moderate cam/stall/gears, but dont count on seeing those for quite a while if ever

The GTA will roll down the track one day. Not soon enough it seems

 

Added a few bits and moved some wiring around

Cruise still doesnt work for some reason. I think my replacement module is also bad. I may have to bite the bullet and get a Fbody module after all. Wiring is in place and tested for proper signals. Frustrating how I can wire in a super complex LSx and it work great right out of the box and some simple 10 wire cruise box gives me grief

Mounted low on the frame rail. A good 2" or better of clearance from anything hot


Dug up a spare power block cover


Reworked the front light harness for a minimalist appearance. Moved the engine side C100 under the booster


Module was moved here. I may move it behind the fender well, but I dont see the point. Its not in the way of anything currently


You can actually see how I mounted the LS1 Fbody throttle cable now. It didnt want to stay in the hole I drilled with its factory plastic clips so i had to help it with some small screws


First full tank of gas averaged 27mpg with a mix of bumper to bumper city traffic, lots of highway miles and a good bit of leadfoot OMG-teh-powazzzz bursts


Bet I break 30 mpg on trips if I drive with some sense

I had the tuner drop the shift points to 5100 and set a rev limiter at 5800. Very close to the stock truck specs. Tons of guys are spinning them well past 6000 for extended periods of time and really flogging the insides. I cant afford for this car to be down for something stupid, so Ill give up the bit of top end for some longevity. Im really liking this 4L60E trans and how responsive it is to minor throttle changes. Downshifting at less than WOT is quite a nice improvement from my 700R4. Still not a 6 speed

Heater core is done for. I guess removing hoses from it did in the fragile solder joints. The smell will be fun to clean up after the job is done...

Do you think the engine would look better with some fabricated coil covers or is it good as-is?

 

sweet loooking swap i kinda like how it looks with the stock covers. did you use the 5.3 or 5.7 covers?

 

are the hoses from the valve cover to the TB really needed? do you have a close up pic of how they are routed?

 

I have no coil covers on the car right now. 5.3's didnt get them, only corvette/GTO LSx engines and high end truck 6.0Ls

The two hoses to the TB are for the PCV system. Some guys run a breather on each valve cover, but end up misting the bay with oil. Ive had better luck with a conventional PCV system, I plan to upgrade to a catch can because LSx engines suck a bit of oil

 

Looking good man!

You non-a/c guys are really tempting me. I put a lot of work into my 4th gen a/c setup. But I used it like twice last summer haha. No a/c would not only clean up my engine bay, but ide be able to ditch a bunch of wiring. And maybe sell my fab'd a/c box to someone that wants it haha.

Pocket....I think we talked before about relocating the pop-up module. I REALLY like where you put yours. I have plenty of room right where you put yours since all thats down there now is my air intake tubing. The cruise will go back down there eventually, but there's room. I like that spot better than putting it in the fender up near the firewall.

Got any tips for that? Can you just cut the module, and wire it in down by the lights, and just jumper the wires up by the firewall? Or do you have to re-work the entire harness... Im sure if I was looking at a wiring diagram and the harness I could figure it out..just wanted to get a heads up. Might make that a project this spring when I go to do the HIDs, power locks, etc.

J.

 

The light harness is very simple, maybe 15 wires at the C100. To move the module I lengthened all 5 wires on the power side (orn, orn, yel, brn, blk) the motor side is actually a separate harness and can be removed and trimmed down to fit. Most of my time was spent setting the proper lengths for the lights because I rerouted it along the hood cable instead of along the frame rail. The module had its own ground point dead center of the drivers inner fenderwell. It looked terrible so I moved it behind the driver's headlight

AC is your call. I think you have one of the cleanest installs and pretty much set the standard for 'how its done'. You will love the extra room from ditching the AC, but how will the missus like it? Id be shocked if someone didnt ****** up your system for whatever you ask in a hurry

Another thing thats not so obvious is I removed my little cruise harness that went all the way across the back of the engine and into the old cruise hole in the firewall. I found I only needed 2 wires from the pedals, so I ran those behind the radio pod and sent the rest of the cruise wiring out of the PCM harness hole. Such a small detail that Im rather fond of. The more tidy the harness gets, the better I like the swap

 

haha the misses will have to deal with it. She's actually a trooper when it comes to my car. The only thing she doesnt like is the smell. Which I hope to remedy with a catch can soon. Even I dont like the smell. But she's pretty happy with t-tops and windows on most days. I have cloth seats for longer trips during the hot months which helps.

Im definatly going to look into relocating my headlight stuff. Im building a new harness to support my HIDs anyway. So whats a little more wiring.

My cruise wiring seemed pretty simple. I left the cruise plug and associated wires in my LS harness when I installed it. On the body side I think. so I just have to hook up the pedal inputs, and I think a VSS/Tach input, and it should work. I plan to just run the few wires I need up along the chassis with the rest of the wires that dump inside.

I was really pleased with how many of the cars systems were stand alone wiring wise. I ditched so much from that bulkhead connector. I think Im down to three wires from there. I actually gave consideration to ditch the bulkhead all together, welding in a patch, and just running the bundle through a grommet down lower. Or out the kick panel and through the fender like the passenger side wires.

Lots of ideas...no time haha. That stuff might not happen til I get a house, a garage, and tear it down to its bones again.

J.

 

I was thinking of just running a hose down under the car somewhere with a breather on the end of it to prevent an oil mess but I guess i'll have to look into it again.

I ditch the AC but i still have the compressor and mount for it. Worth anything?

I also got an S-10 heater box that im hoping will go in without much trouble.

 

I absolutely hate coil covers. I've heard they help deaden noise, but that can't be very effective (and most people put a louder exhaust system on their LS1 car, anyway). Much more likely to hold in heat. I've had a couple of 3800's and a 6.5 turbo diesel with intake covers from the factory, I pulled those things off and tossed them.

I'm a terminal function-over-form guy. I prefer the look of an equipment rack to fancy stereo component fascias and cabinets.

To me, those coils sitting on the top of the valve covers is a thing of beauty.

 

Turns out cruise is fine, wiring was correct. The brake switch wasnt pushed in all the way so the plunger wasnt tripped

Seems to hold the speed pretty good. Not as violent when engaged like the old vacuum unit, but atleast it works

I nabbed a formula hood and put the Y2Ks back up front. Mismatching wheels looked terrible, but it was that or park the car

I think its officially done

 

I second five7 on not using the covers i love the look of the xposed coil per cylinder and with our low hood lines anything that retaines any form of heat needs to go! Impressive mpg #s jus wonderin what mileage would be with 4.8 and 6 speed?

 

Probably ridiculously high

 

When it comes to gas mileage I don't think there is such a thing as rediculously high. It would probably make great numbers though.

I say run without coil covers, it looks great just the way it is!

 

i meant with the stock valve covers because you were mentioning possibly going with the fab'd covers.

 

Valve covers will stay stock for the lifetime of the car

I may fab some coil covers from thin sheetmetal, but I doubt ill use them even if i make them

 

what plug wires are those?

 

Supposed to be C5 Z06. They came with the coils and were brand new so I didnt press the issue. I like the red

 

Im jealous of your dist. cover! let me know if you come accross another one.

 

Hey pocket I just came across your swap. and I just picked up a 2005 5.3. but for now I am trying to keep my 700r4. will the computer let the motor run right without the computer controlled 4l60? This is going in a 92 RS. So many other questions but this is the main one. Thanks for any info you have.

 

Your 92 will already have a 4L60 which is the updated 700R4. The LSx PCM cannot control lockup on this trans, so an external vacuum lockup switch will be required along with a TV cable adapter for your throttle body cam. You will need a manual trans tune and a VSS change. The stock trans outputs 4000ppm, the newer trans output 40ppr. A converter box or swapping the VSS from a early 90s truck will solve the issue

 

They look like Z06 wires... Thats what I have and they look identical.

Im thinking about trying to hide my coils somewhere and make some custom wires... Ide like to run the upgrade truck coils but still run my custom coil covers. Long term plan I guess.

J.

 

Hey Jon where did you find the cover for your dist. block? I really want one!!

 

Mid-late 90's S10s, drivers side fender near the booster

GM # 15328832 if you cant find one in a junkyard

 

Heck I'd like a distribution block and a cover... where are you guys sourcing them?

 

Spanks!



And to John (the other John):

I got my distribution block with my harness that the OTHER other Jon made for me. Am I confusing you? The block came out of an S10, and I think I'm going to source the cover at the GM stealership instead of try my luck finding a wrecked S10 at a bone yard.

 

PN is off compnine's website and its been correct so far with the PNs. The power block is common on the vortec S10's and old LO5 1500 series trucks. Only the later model S10s got the cover for some crazy reason. It mounts on two studs with some plastic nuts holding it on. I hate those with a passion so I use normal bolts to attach the cover with the block as seen

 

And now a week and a half before Autofair, the alt goes out. Luckily I made it home, but still, thats $150 I didnt need to spend

Alt gets tested tomorrow, Ive got a spare connector thats got a bigger wire than the 22ga Fbody connector has in case thats the problem

Wierd because I had great charge this morning and now ive got 8v

 

Thanks. I think I'll hit the yard tomorrow and see if I can find one.

 

That sounds all too familiar haha! Was it a used alternator?

 

i'll trade you i just had the 3-4 clutch pack go out in the 4l60e for the second time in 15months, and i noticed that i cracked the oil pan on the last time i jacked the car up...i have 16 days till my first race, and i have to fix the oil pan, and do a th350 swap!

 

Trade me for what?

Ive actually got a TH350...

 

see if anyone around you rebuilds alternators,thats what i did and he does it for half the price of another one from the parts store and put a lifetime warranty on them too

 

trade situations. i wish my problems were as simple as a $150 alternator right now...

 

pocket, do u work on dbw harness's also. how much to convert to a stand alone 1wire alt?
pm

 

What's the latest on the oil pressure and sewing machine sounds?

 

whats with that? the alt on the LS1 i got was bad too...lucky for my dude got it at autozone and had the lifetime warrenty so i just went in there and said i was him and scored a new one for free.

 

Oil pressure is fine since I put the new pump in. Ticking quieted down as the miles ticked off. The PCV is the loudest part now

Unfortunately, I got a knockoff Walbro and its going out after a little over a month. Chalk up another $90 I didnt want to shell out. The GN boards are having great luck with the Ford GT40 pump. Ill try that, if its out then ill see about a truck pump. LS1s have the venturi valve port, which I wont have. Hopefully the trucks dont. Id rather not risk another walbro

Not sure how the alt got cooked. This ones got a 3 year warranty

Car hit 300,000miles on monday

 

I don't have my camaro yet but it just has a 305 and I do plan on an engine swap, but I have not completely decided which direction to go yet. I would love to go with an lsx swap but they seem to be about the most expensive. I just read through your whole thread and I really enjoyed it. I have also followed bluez's thread somewhat. I have to say to ghettocruiser first off I hate you (just kidding) every comment you have posted about the lsx swap sells me on the lsx, by the way I'm not a bird man but your car looks awesome from what I have seen it looks like you have really done everything right I guess I should look in your profile but do you have any more pics I would love to see them.

Also to pocket your install looks awesome I have read a bunch on the lsx and I have seen some swaps that don't look very good (a lot of times they owners say they are unfinished) yours definitely looks like it was made to be in that engine bay. Again if I continue looking at your pics I will grow to hate you too (again I'm only kidding)

I have to say I'm definitely in the minority here but I would love to see what you could make for custom coil covers (your attention to detail is awesome and I would love to see your creation) I don't like when people put corvette covers on (but that's only because they say corvette on them). To me it just looks unfinished but it still looks good don't get me wrong here.

If you guys don't mind me asking how much do you guys have in to your swaps? Just curious on what a start to finish swap costs with motor mounts k member and other little things that nobody really thinks of. Also where are you guys finding your motors I have looked on craigslist and ebay but have not really found to much appealing (price-wise). Great job on the swaps and I look forward to your responses.

 

Hardon85. The flexplate jegs has It is a tci for $214.99. part # 399 753. The motor mounts from jegs are by transdapt for $53.99 part # 969-4592.
It is the little stuff that will get you. computer tuning, fuels system fittings. That kind of things. I have not yet done it but have done the research, pocket is the one with the best answers. Good luck to you.

 

Im up to about $2300 with all the used parts going out, but I had to DIY for nearly everything and it took about 9 months to bargain shop for all the parts to get the engine ready

Double that price or more for a 5.7L or modified swap

 

wow that is really reasonable when you consider the power increase. I have seen your wiring threads and I was going to give it a try when the time comes. Just out of curiosity what do you charge for harnesses just a ballpark I'm sure it depends on what engine you have and whatever else but just a ballpark price is what I was curious in.

Also another question is I believe the lm7 is rated at 285 HP stock but you have to change out the truck intake for the ls1 intake and I thought I read somewhere that the ls1 intake flows a lot less than the truck intake so my question is does anyone know how much HP you lose with changing the intake?

 

Here is an article I found on the two intakes: http://www.ls1tech.com/forums/conver...t-intakes.html

IIRC, I believe the LM7's made over 300 hp to the crank, i'm not 100% positive on this. Also take into consideration, when you change over to the ls1 intake and throttle body, you also have to change to the f-body water pump and accessories. If you don't, the ls1 throttle body hits the truck water pump IIRC.

 

I went LM7 from a cost perspective, not for power. $200 longblock vs $1200 longblock

PM sent about the harness